Radburnd Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet 2020 (Single Bottle)

Radburnd Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet 2020 (Single Bottle)French oak Juicy plum Dried herbs Svelte tannins "Exhibiting elegance with power, this gracefully composed Bordeaux style red shows blackcurrant, subtle tobacco, olive, cedar and violet aromas on the nose. The palate delivers exceptional focus and concentration, together with refined texture and multi layered mouthfeel, leading to a classically structured, persistent finish" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "Intense merlot dominant (60%) red with a core of juicy

• French oak
• Juicy plum
• Dried herbs
• Svelte tannins

"Exhibiting elegance with power, this gracefully composed Bordeaux-style red shows blackcurrant, subtle tobacco, olive, cedar and violet aromas on the nose. The palate delivers exceptional focus and concentration, together with refined texture and multi-layered mouthfeel, leading to a classically structured, persistent finish" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"Intense merlot-dominant (60%) red with a core of juicy plum and berry flavours together with spicy French oak, cedar, hedgerow/dried herbs, and anise/liquorice characters. Elegant wine with cellaring potential" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review

"The palate shows some power and heft from the Cabernet, some sweetness and velvet from the Merlot. A well-judged balance of fine, svelte tannins and juicy acidity form a core, and a confident oak note frames the palate. As well as a plush concentration there is a stony minerality as you head into a finish that has great endurance and polish" David Walker-Bell

The strength and structure of Cabernet Sauvignon is readily apparent. Black currant and cassis are complimented with the plushness and generosity of Merlot. Ripe, full, rich and slightly brooding, and lifted by very fine French oak and powdery tannins. Lovey lavender and floral highs, are understated and beautiful, providing restraint and elegance which make this powerful wine intriguing. Cellaring will add complexity and depth.

Strength, structure, power and grace are the hallmarks of these wonderful blends which make some of the finest wines in the world. Sensitive winemaking and superb fruit have created this complex, moreish fine dry red which will evolve and reward over the decade ahead.

Three vineyards from the Bridge Pa Triangle and the Gimblett Gravels were the source of the fruit for this Merlot Cabernet blend. The sites have in common, low yields, old vines, open canopy management, managed irrigation and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand accreditation. These free draining sites ripen Merlot first and then Cabernet, producing balanced acidity and weight of fruit which is impressive. A combination of rich, berry fruits from Bridge Pa Merlot and spicy Gimblett Gravels Merlot, produce a complex range of primary fruit. Cabernet has strength, structure and blackcurrant notes which provide perfect synergy.

The 2019 -20 growing season, whilst slightly cooler than the previous four seasons, was still above the long term average. A warm spring with above average temperatures and rainfall was accompanied by some frost and hail in parts of Hawkes Bay. Conditions for flowering in November were drier and warmer than usual. Summer was also warm and dry which lead to an early start to vintage and an Indian autumn followed. Glorious conditions for grape growing, intense fruit flavours and clean sound fruit.

Hand picked fruit is chilled overnight followed by early morning hand sorting, de-stemming and collecting whole berries for the open fermenters. Some foot stomping across ferments provides lovely release of fresh juice great for cold soaking. Some whole bunches incorporated with the Merlot parcels, accentuating fresh, lifted fruits. As ambient temperature is reached from cold soaking, the indigenous yeast initiate fermentation. We pump over twice a day at cool temperatures, capturing gentle tannin extraction and floral fruit notes. Cultured yeast complete the fermentation to dryness, which is followed by pressing and transfer to new and 1 year old French oak barriques. Approximately 20 months barrel maturation with regular racking completes the process. Blended in December 2021 and bottled January 2022, the blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.